I own a 2008ish M6R with 12% reduced gearing. I added a Schlumpf Mountain Drive, converted it to an H6R with the conversion stem and gear, added Ergon grips, and also a Shimano dyno system. I recently stopped in to the local Brom dealer and could hardly believe how light a brand new S2L was (no options to speak of) when I lifted it off the shelf! My-oh-my, my little Brom is a bit of a pig! But...I love it. Absolutely utterly cannot beat the fold. I can pack it away anywhere, anytime, effortlessly. With the conversions I've made over the past ten years, it actually feels quite similar to a full-size bike. The gearing is incredibly well spaced and quite intuitive on dark morning commutes. I believe my lowest gear is somewhere around 17.4 gear inches and my highest gear is somewhere around 22-23 mph on a downhill grade. It's a complex and sometimes moody little bugger, but it is ever-fascinating to me. A truly thoughtful, beautiful, work of art--folded or unfolded.

As a comparison, I also own a one year old Tern Verge S27H. It didn't have low enough gearing for my comfort, so I reduced the front chain ring to 36T. Brings the lowest gear down to approx 17-18 gear inches and a top speed of approx 20 mph. Really nice bike too. Solid, stout, cushy ride, with a badass all black gloss look, a nice upright riding position when I prefer with the quick release adjustable stem...and also has incredible cargo carrying capacity. Quite the tank with the fat Big Apple tires. Probably weighs a bit more than my Brom when carrying it out of the house. The downside? The fold sucks. In fact, the only time I fold it is when I'm taking a vacation and I want to throw it in the minivan. The fold almost seems like an afterthought. It does what it needs to do when you need it folded, but it's definitely ungainly compared to the Brom when in folded form--NOT EVEN CLOSE.

And lastly, I own a full-size folder-- the Tern Joe P24, with a low of 18 gear inches. Okay bike I guess, but honestly I only ride it on lazy weekend afternoons. It definitely feels lighter than either the Brom or Verge when lifting it, but the fold is truly useless. It's almost as big folded as unfolded.

Comparing the three bikes, a 16 incher, a 20 incher, and a 26 incher, in terms of efficiency--according to Google Tracks--I ride almost identical average miles per hour, over the same 10 mile terrain, no matter which bike I'm on. I'm a slow, high-cadence rider, so even though I sometimes 'feel' like I'm going slower or faster, I think impressions can be deceiving.

If I were to ditch one of the three, I'd probably toss the Joe. Doesn't have the utility of the Verge or the magic of the Brom.